Thursday, December 11, 2008

Two Sunday vigils in response to Bushwick hate crime

From a Facebook group page set up to announce a candlelight vigil taking place this Sunday in Brooklyn [h/t Joe.My.God] - click on image to make it bigger:

Early Sunday morning, two brothers from Ecuador were walking to their homes in Bushwick arm in arm. They were attacked by three men who shouted anti-gay and anti-Hispanic insults as they beat the brothers with an aluminum baseball bat and a broken bottle. Jose Sucuzhanay died Tuesday morning from extensive brain damage and skull fractures.

WHEN: 2PM

WHERE: Gather at 2PM at the corner of Myrtle Avenue and Grove Street (Take the L to Myrtle/Wyckoff).

We will then walk to the site of the attack (Bushwick Avenue and Kossuth Place) for a vigil at 4pm.

THE PREVIOUSLY PLANNED WALK AT 7PM STARTING IN FRONT OF THE ARCHIVE WILL NO LONGER BE HAPPENING. We hope you will join with us at the march and vigil organized by Make the Road. Thanks!

BRING: your friends. Spread the word! Let's all show our support for Jose's family in this tragic and difficult time.

I'm not sure if this vigil is allied with a second call for a vigil this Sunday but Boy in Bushwick reports that community organizations such as Make the Road By Walking and the New York City Anti-Violence Project have also sent out info about a vigil starting at the same intersection at the and at same time (see flyer above, click on it to make it bigger). From his blog:

As law enforcement officials continue to search for the men who allegedly left a Bushwick man brain dead in what they describe as an anti-gay and anti-Latino hate crime early Sunday morning, the Anti-Violence Project, Make the Road New York and a coalition of other community and activist groups have organized a march and vigil on Sunday, Dec. 14.

The vigil will take place at Make the Road's park on the corner of Grove Street and Myrtle Avenue in Bushwick at 2 p.m. Marchers will then proceed to Bushwick Avenue and Kossuth Place--the corner where police say a group of four men viciously beat Jose Sucuzhanay with a baseball bat and bottles and kicked him while his brother ran for help.

As you've probably heard, last week two men were attacked and brutally beaten in Bushwick by men who yelled anti-gay and anti-Hispanic insults. One of them has since died of injuries from the attack. It's being investigated as a hate crime.

Local artist Meg Hitchcock has organized a vigil for Sunday, December 14th at 7 pm. They are meeting up at the Archive Cafe (49 Bogart Street, right by the Morgan stop on the L) and walking to the scene of the crime a few blocks away. They ask that people bring candles and "come show your support in protesting this horrible attack on a member of our community.